Commercial Individuality...

The Monocle shop, in London, UK...

The problem here in Kuwait is not as acute yet, however, with the proliferation of malls at every nook and cranny, and the closure or reduction in the local rendition of the high-street, there is a profound risk there will not be many one-off, bespoke, usually family owned stores around Kuwait for much longer.

A toy-store in Helsinki, Finland...

These need to be appreciated, supported, patronized and (planning wise) encouraged as only through the allowance of home-grown promotion and custom will the particular individuality and uniquely Kuwaiti character of the local shop and shopping experience be retained.

A pharmacy in Malaga, Spain...

Pedestrian Drivers...

A nigh time shot of the pedestrian path in Salwa, Kuwait (taken on a very humid day). As commendable as it is as an effort, this track leaves much to be desired regarding track material (the asphalt is too hard), location (too close to the road), variety (too uniform), etc.

All drivers are sometimes pedestrians, but not all pedestrians need to be drivers. This truism applies also in Kuwait, where even the most persistent drivers aren't (as of yet) allowed to drive down the main concourses of Avenues or Marina Malls. Why is it that a nation that not too many generations ago used to be almost exclusively reliant and designed to befit seafaring and moving by foot has now completely transformed into a place where even crossing a road has to be done by car? Take Gulf road as an example – on its roughly twenty kilometer stretch there is not a single pedestrian crossing worth mentioning, and as of yet I haven't detected a single pedestrian traffic light in Kuwait!

Claiming that the climate doesn't allow one to walk in Kuwait has become a self-fulfilled prophesy that has by now transcended into a generally accepted, and often repeated, justification and excuse why no one seem to walk in this city. Yet, for eight to nine months of the year, aided by the for the region unusually dry air, its perfectly possible, in fact pleasant, to move by foot in our beloved city. Whether this is actually possible due to the lack of available venues and routes where walking is possible is a different matter. This is a true shame, as walking, along with providing a form of low impact aerobic exercise, also offers a much more comprehensive sensory experience of a city compared to driving. In pedestrianized cities the pace and rhythm of the city are different – here the details and nuances begin to matter. A city perceived mostly through a car window is a city that lacks a soul, as it ends up becoming a city always experienced through the enclosed viewpoint and uniform and controlled ambiance of a car interior. It becomes a 'nodal-city', in which the points between the nodes end up becoming of less importance – generic, forgotten - and thus subservient to the end points of a car trip. Here the more subtle nuances of a place are lost, blurred by the speed and driving entails and the inevitable concentration handling a car requires. Intangible qualities such as the fragrance of the sea or blooming roadside plants; the gently shifting shadow patterns on a 'sigma-tized' wall; the sound of ones steps across shifting ground materials on different street blocks and neighbourhoods; or the gentle stroke of of the shifting breeze that adjusts its turbulent temperament according to the urban vernacular, the time of day, and seasons - all such subtleties are squandered whilst driving.

In the images below are two images from a case-study of Izmir, a coastal city in Turkey, which in many ways is surprisingly similar to Kuwait in that it is a city wrapped around an elongated bay coastline with a main vehicular artery adjacent to it. However, in many ways Izmir is leaps and bounds ahead of Kuwait thanks to how it has realized some of the featured details relating to this key ingredient of the city. Elements that are easy to overlook, but which make a substantial difference in how the areas along the coast are used. Factors such as the speed of traffic is substantially slower in Izmir than in Kuwait, and pedestrian access between the city and the shoreline is prioritized, or at least equalized, to that of cars. There are also other features, such as a maximum height to the buildings flanking the shoreline and how the buffering between where cars and those pedestrians move is more sensible and reflective of how people actually use the areas. These are elements that could be, with a bit of forethought and planning, be easily implemented in Kuwait, all it would require is a bit of formal commitment and faith from the right parties.

A cross-section of the main beach side street in Izmir (please click on the image for a close-up)...

A panorama shot from the beach side walk and street above, outlining some of the key features...

As it is well known by now, Kuwait as a nation has one of the highest levels of obesity and diabetes in the world, this one can with some assurance speculate is at least partly due to the lack of daily exercise. Ordinary things that in other cities are taken for granted, such as walking (or bicycling) to work or even just the corner store, are done by car in Kuwait. Ironically, as one of the most sun-rich nations in the world, many Kuwaitis also suffer from vitamin E deficiency, something easily rectified by additional sun exposure. There are only benefits to be had from reconsidering how we get about in Kuwait.

There are a number of parallel things that need to be developed to make this a viable option. Firstly, the seemingly infinitely postponed plans to develop a more comprehensive public transport system needs to be reanimated – the current situation is not sustainable for much longer. Secondly, a campaign for the hearts and minds of the population need to be set in motion. The current stigma attached to public transport needs to be neutralised. Thirdly, how the city itself is planned needs to begin assuming that (the Kuwait version of) suburbia is not the answer, as people seem to be living further and further from necessary amenities and work places – density, if done right, can be a good thing.

There are infinite templates of successful, more densely populated, neighbourhoods that could be adapted in Kuwait, some interesting options are already in development in some of the neighbouring states. We should learn from these and adapt them to Kuwait.

The aim here is not to exclude driving from the picture, but to allow for more alternatives for how one could get around the city, a symbiotic hybrid, of sorts, where there are options available. To do this, however, it is not enough to just get the architects, urban-designers, environmentalists and engineers involved, but, most importantly, engage with these issues on a political level, as true change will only be initiated through changes in governmental policy and the way these are implemented, supervised and enforced.

Tom having a morning stroll on the ceiling...

Printed Matters in Kuwait...

In the recent local press, there's been a number of articles lamenting the difficulty of accessing decent books, particularly those with a bit more select slant on things. The same can be said about magazines, where the situation isn't perhaps as dire, but the selection is still somewhat, shall we say, 'predictable' regarding what magazines one encounters on the shelves. Neither does their price (which seems to be the same in Dinars as they were in Euros, Pounds or Dollars) nor the censorship (black blotches and ripped off pages) increase ones wish to purchase them locally.

To create stimulating, interesting and worthwhile work one needs to be exposed to stimulating, interesting and worthwhile ideas, be these in picture and/ or text format. It was thus invigorating, as a born and bred bibliophile, on a recent trip to Europe to be reintroduced to the fantastic variety and selection of printed matter (books & magazines) available. This doesn't only include regularly available (best selling) magazines and books, but also more, call them, obscure and unusual material, limited edition prints, one-off publications, special interest papers, university press editions, etcetera. As someone interested in design and architecture related matters, the choice of specialized book stores on London's Charing Cross and its vicinity is heartening, as there are anything from large book department stores such as Borders, Foyles, and Blackwells, to smaller more specialized stores such as Koenig Books (art), Magma (design), AA Bookshop (architecture and urban design), Forbidden Planet (comics and graphical novels) or the book-shop at the Photographer's Gallery, to mention a few. Along its sidewalks there are also an abundance of antiquarian book stores (some with fireplaces, that are nice to nip into on cold winter nights) that each carry their own musty fragrance of decades, even centuries, old books and knowledge.

Similar locales, on a smaller scale (comparative to Kuwait), can be found in cities such as Singapore, Luxembourg or even Helsinki, which all have well stocked book stores, libraries and a well developed cultural life (aspects of a developed society that seems to be linked).

The Academic Bookstore in Helsinki (designed by Alvar Aalto)...

During my studies and practice life in London these places played an inherent role in my education, and aided in keeping me updated on the latest ideas and technologies. Visiting them became a daily early evening routine, that acted as almost an initiation, or catalyst, for some of the tasks that needed to be completed later. They, along with the various libraries and other peripheral cultural institutions (museums, galleries, theatres, etc.) made a considerable contribution to how I practice my discipline(s) today.

There are some great (English language) cultural magazines that focus specifically with the Middle-East, ironically, some of them, such as Bidoun and Meada, are actually based respectively in New York and London. Other worthwhile publications are Canvas, Brownbook, and even a student publication such as T-Square, done by architectural students at Kuwait University. An additional, by now unfortunately terminated, publication worth a note was Alef Magazine, which had some of the most evolved editorial content and formatting around.

If you have any know-how of further worthy magazines please let me know, as it's always great to encounter and learn more regarding this genre of press...

Kuwaiti Chasms...

Walking up to Salhiya from the Dar Al-Athar Al Islamyyiah's headquarters at the former Americani Hospital Building by the Gulf Road, one has to cross the work site of the new road extension running adjacent to the Behbehani Complex that will eventually connect the area by the Al Jahra (also called the 'Sheraton') Roundabout to the First Ringroad and the beach side. For a nation that prides itself on its culture and heritage, it's remarkable how unfazed the population seems to be, and thus how seemingly easy it is to 'develop' (it that's the word), these types of drastic interventions without as much as a murmur in protest. What was once a level plane linking the beach side cultural centres, restaurants and gallery by the Behbehani Complex to both the commercial and retail hubs of Salhiya, will henceforth be occupying opposite sides of a unpenetrable chasm which, in its width and depth, will make any type of ambulatory crossing close to impossible. This is a true pity as, even though mostly having functioned as a somewhat ad-hoc parking lot, there used to be a very inherent and natural topographical 'flow' between the various adjacent blocks in the area. It used to be easy to, say, do a bit of shopping at Salhiya, and then walk or quickly drive down to the restaurants with their wide outside terraces for a snack or a drink. Now that option doesn't exist anymore as the urban coherence of this neighbourhood has been fatally interrupted. Unfortunately these types of shortsighted developments aren't unique in Kuwait, as examples abound and exist in most of its residential districts. In Kuwait it seems like neighbourhoods are defined by their flanking highways rather than the other way around. Here the needs of a neighbourhood have become subservient to the demands of the automobile.

What once was one, soon will be two - the multi lane and level route currently under construction in Salhiya...

We need to begin applying a bit more forethought and creativity to the way our city is formulated. Building more of the same will only take us so far, as there are only so many more roads that can be built and only so much more the existing ones can be widened. It was Einstein who said (here paraphrased) that one can's solve a problem by using the same type of thinking that caused it in the first place - as the amount of cars in the city won't change, this extension will, at best, only manage to shift the bottle-necks from one location to another. This type of development is too singular, too limited and one dimensional, in its purpose. The road to be is intended for nothing but cars - it includes no consideration for pedestrians or other means of transport or alternative uses along its extruded pathways. Nor does it show any for of consideration or respect for what existed on the site previously. Cities are more complex than that, they are living and breathing entities that, just like us, react to seasons and weather changes, respond well to kindness and consideration, and will eventually atrophy and disintegrate if not cared for. Thus it is time to begin thinking about alternative means of transport as well as urban patterns within Kuwait. What this might entail, and how such plans could realistically be implemented, needs also to be debated on a wider realm than what our current soap-box polemics allow for. Dubai will be opening its first metro line in a few weeks time (09/09/09), it is going to be interested to see how it is received and used, as it might provide a template for how Kuwait's own metro and train-line related plans (currently scheduled for completion by 2017) should be implemented. In addition to this, however, it is equally important to begin encouraging further alternatives for how one could move around without necessarily having to use a car. This should not only involve designing alternative means of transport (metro lines, trains, trams, mini-buses, etc.), but also how the related, more ground level, planning details, such as sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, parking, bus lanes, access routes, etc. should be implemented. Also, perhaps more importantly, the larger scale urban configurations such as what types of inherent services each neighbourhood needs (co-ops, banks, dry-cleaners, etc.) within its immediate vicinity, and the proportional quantities (and qualities & formats) of residential, commercial, office and other facilities the neighbourhood should include, also need to be thought of. All such considerations, from the micro, to meso, to the macro scale play a fundamental symbiotic role in the creation of a successful, functioning safe and dynamic living environment.

The new extension cuts Salhiya into two, irredeemably disconnected, halves...

On a slightly different, but related, note, lamenting about existing vexations might hopefully impact future ventures (one can always hope?!) - doing something about already existing miscreations is a different matter. Accepting that what has been (semi recently) built will remain for the foreseeable future, how could the overtly apparent shortcomings of the existing highway based problems be alleviated? How could, for example, the beach front, currently being split by the six lanes of the Gulf Road, be more naturally linked to the residential and commercial areas flanking it on the other side? This location is in the context of this query particularly pertinent as it, along its approximately twenty kilometer stretch, doesn't include a single pedestrian crossing (bridge or ground level) to speak of*. The quest thus becomes to figure out a way to create, design and build, this aforementioned connective 'flow' into a program which, without excessively impacting the roads themselves, aim to, if not fully heal, at least manage to lessen and partly camouflage the calamitous affects such developments usually result in? The answer will have to be left to a future date, so as not to veer off the main topic too much. However, based upon some of the projects produced by students of the 'Design 3' Studio at at Kuwait University's Department of Architecture, who just happened to explore a design brief based on the aforementioned criteria last year, the answer seemed to require a semantic shift in what the notion of a 'bridge' or a 'crossing' might entail. In other words, instead of defining the project as an exercise in creating a mere link between two points (a bridge), the assignment became about aiming to design an intervention/ environment/ experience that had its own presence and existed on its own merit. A design that was the protagonist of its own vernacular narrative rather than a sub-plot to the whims of the road. How such aims ended up being interpreted by the students will have to wait for a future blog entry...

*This observation excludes the bridge by the Seef Palace, as it cannot be accessed by the public, as well as the pedestrian connection of Marina Mall, as it is mainly designed to link two halves of a mall, rather than provide a public pedestrian crossing...

Some of the factual info of the text above was based on research conducted by students of last years 'Design 3' studio of the Architecture Department at Kuwait University. I'm grateful to you all...

Drawing Workshops at the Al Sabah Art & Design Gallery...

Yesterday was the conclusive Drawing Workshop session of the Al Sabah Art & Design Foundation, at the Al Corniche Club by Gulf Road. This type of occasions are a all too rare an occurrence in Kuwait, where the arts are still all too often relegated into the 'hobby' category, rather than considered an inherent representational component of a nation's psyche, character and maturity.

Architect Farid Abdaal and Artist Alia Farid...

The workshops have been taking place for the past few weeks and have explored a variety of different techniques, ranging from calligraphy, life-drawing, collage and even sculpting. They were organised by Artist Alia Farid, who is also the Cultural Director of Al Sabah Art & Design.

Architect Farid Abdaal introduces the days theme - Calligraphy...

The workshop was attended by individuals of various ages, backgrounds and skill levels...

Top view of the floor area, here used as the collective work area by the participants...

One of the younger workshop participants...

Above and below - some samples of the work produced during the various workshops...

Drawing from the life drawing workshop (a future Basquiat..?!)

The value of this type, more tactile and hands-on, skills need to be acknowledged and celebrated, as they form an inherent component in all (even the cerebral and more abstract) sets of abilities and know-how. Their development also needs to be included in the general educational curriculum rather than, as currently seems to be the case, predominantly left to private individuals and organizations to sponsor and organize.

Why Not [Here] No. 4 - Architectural Institutes, Societies and Associations...

The RIBA in London's Portland Place...

What Kuwait needs is an organization with a mandate to promote and advance its architecture and built environment. There is the Kuwait Society of Engineers, but its decree seems more focused on more general issues (at the top of their web-page there is a scrolling bar with the latest KSE stock prices?!), and seems to be more of a social club than something that aims to advance the objectives of the related disciplines. There also doesn't seem, at least on the English side, to be any mention of Architecture in any of the sub-categories. Most developed nations do have an institute particular for the promotion of architecture. In the UK there's the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), which is located in a bespoke, and quite lavish, building by Portland Place in central London (there are a few images included from the RIBA above and below). Other examples would be the AIA (American Institute of Architects) in the US, the AIA (Australian Institute of Architects) in Australia, and even SAFA (Suomen Arkitehdit/ Finska Arkitekter - which the author belongs to) which promotes the practice of architecture in Finland. What they all have in common is an aim to raise more awareness and care regarding what architects do, and the value of architecture and urban design in the advancement of our built vernacular (a related submission was made a short while back by fellow Kuwait based bloggers re:Kuwait). This can be achieved by promoting and explaining to the general public (through various publications or events) what architects do and how employing an architect can substantially improve the end result of a building project. It should also act as a lobbying organization which promotes the value of an enhanced built environment amongst the political class. These organizations also provide venues for architects to advance their own know-how and keep them updated regarding more recent, discipline related, R & D projects as well as exhibiting and advocating architecture through symposiums, exhibitions and publications.

The piano nobile of the RIBA...

The RIBA Gallery, here exhibiting work by contemporary Portugese architects...

Above and below - images from the RIBA exhibition...

Another example of an organization which in its own way is advancing the causes of our built environment is the Architectural Association, more commonly known as just the AA. Usually affiliated with its architectural school (the Architectural Association School of Architecture), the oldest and perhaps most prestigious architectural school in the UK, the AA also functions as association that anyone interested in architecture can join, and which functions as a community where all its members, which includes both the students and staff of the architectural school as well as the additional collective, have a say. This not only entails the right to comment during the various events and presentations taking place at Bedford Square (where the AA is located), but also in, for example, the selection of the school's head, where all members (students, staff & other) each have a vote and a right to express their opinions or query the candidates (imagine the head of KU being selected by the students and staff of the university!?). The AA also has its own publication house, gallery, cafe/ bar, and book-store (as does the RIBA)...

The Bedford Square facade of the AA...

The front members room at the AA...

The AA Digital Prototyping Lab...

There is no reason why this type(s) of organizations couldn't exist in Kuwait. One could even argue that their type of institutions are sorely needed in Kuwait. Perhaps it's time we begin doing something about it...

Catalytic Reminiscing...

Did some late night browsing (and scrolling) on youtube and came across some oldies, but goodies - tunes and videos - all which in one way or another have given me 'goose-bumps', and which remind me why, so called, 'creative endeavours' are the most worthwhile of activities to pursue - regardless of discipline... How these relate to the general theme of this particular blog I'm not sure, beyond perhaps that they all, at least for me, touch upon some timeless qualities in their being which should resonate on all levels, regardless of age, background or culture. They also do reflect on some of the often aforementioned hybrid aspects of all actions we take. Our decisions are mongrels of our past...

Battles - Atlas


Sugarcubes - Birthday


Paul Oxley's Unit - Terry's Inside


Grace Jones - Corporate Cannibal


Dragon Ash & Sugar Soul - Garden


Zero 7 - Home


Chris Cornell - Seasons


Lauryn Hill


Justice - DVNO

New Blog on the Block...

There's a few Kuwaiti blogs which I inspect regularly, even daily. These include 29°20'N,47°59'E, Art for Arabs, Artvark, and Ghada Al Kandari's blog (along with some of the other web-sites listed on the 'Worthy Links' list). A more recent entry to this collective is re:kuwait, run by Barrak Al-Babtain and Jasem Nadoum. Brought to my attention initially by fellow Kuwaiti blogger of 29°20'N,47°59'E (thanks Victoria), it provides a potent dose of stimulating thoughts that has upped the ante of discourse regarding matters relating to local architecture and urban design.
As of yet there still are very few venues in Kuwait where these discussions can be had, which makes this more recent entry all the more appreciated.

Summer Fun - small(sm)Architecture Exhibiting in Athens and Florence...

We've been invited to take part in two events this summer. The first one, titled Syn_athr(0)isis}, which is a part of the Synch Festival, will take place later this month in Athens, where we'll be exhibiting a CNC milled version of the Finger Run design. Tom's also going to be giving a presentation, as well as partake in a round-table discussion with a number of illustrious colleagues (list included below), at this event on June 15th.

We've also recently submitted material for the Visions - Beyond Media International Festival for Architecture taking place in Florence this July. We were invited to this event by the London based nous Gallery, who specialize in exhibiting more polemic and experimental, usually computing based, architectural work. For images of our last year's exhibition at the nous gallery click here.

Let's encourage and aid more Kuwait based practices and thinkers to partake in these kinds of international occasions. We need to shout out and let the wider community know that there are some truly worthwhile things (catalytic ideas/ polemic proposals) originating and taking place here in Kuwait and the region that carry a unique flavour all of their own. These types of international happenings are a good medium through which to start spreading the word and laying the foundations for a revitalization of a more evolved discourse regarding related matters...

More about these, and perhaps a few other, events in future blog submissions...

Sans Style - Tareq Al-Kandari at the Sultan Gallery...

Close-up of the central installation...

Visited tonight an exhibition which like I haven't seen in Kuwait before. Taking place at the Sultan Gallery and showing the work by architect/ developer Tareq Al-Kandari (brother of the artist Ghada Al-Kandari) the exhibition consists of a composition of paintings, two black painted monoliths of stacked concrete bricks, a four tier wood and plexi-glass assembly (on top of a square, flat black, carpet), three video screens explaining the conception of the exhibition, and some guiding floor markings.

View of the exhibition from its entrance. The artist/ architect can be seen on the left of the image...

The text accompanying the exhibition outlines it in the following fashion:

"in an architectural context, an archetype is a generic idealized model of an object or basic element from which similar instances are derived, copied, patterned, or emulated. the basic elements in this case are wall, floor, column, and a very special cube. grounded by facts and superimposed with expression, sans style represents an architectural vision of a place common to us all without the stylized instances that have developed over time.
the exhibit is a collaboration of several mediums including paintings, installations, and audio-visuals resulting in a complex experience of the senses. a total temporary retrofit of the gallery will take place to further enhance this ambition."

Detail of one of the paintings...

Without 'spoiling' (to those who haven't as of yet visited the exhibition) what the aforementioned archetype is referring to, the exhibition performs as an architectural-folly, of sorts - providing an inspired, well researched, erudite 'indulgence' (none of the pieces seem to be for sale) which clearly applies the iconography and sensitivities of an architectural approach, but hasn't been limited by its, occasionally restrictive, pragmatism. The exhibition represents and celebrates the fundamental and manifest 'spirit' of a particular architectural entity that usually manages to escape such analysis. It forms a spatial experience that is 'occupied' rather than just viewed, where the experience of the various elements are perceived more through casual kinesthetic (ambulatory) awareness, motion and flow, instead of the usual sequential 'stop-and-observe' pace of a gallery visit. It also, in its realization, provides an inspired assimilation of the craftsman's unifying dictum which states, "one can do thinking without using ones hands, but not use ones hands without thinking", something quite evident in the precise and refined execution of the exhibitions various pieces.

Let's encourage and cultivate more events of this calibre in Kuwait...

The exhibition finishes at 2 PM on Thursday, June 28th...

The sand-blasted plexi 'porticoes' of the central installation...

Exporting POP: A Western Fantasy Exhibition at the Al Sabah Collection at the Al Corniche

View of the Exporting Pop Exhibition at the Al-Sabah Collection at the Corniche Club (photo found on Alia Farid's 'Picasa' album)...

If, in short, Pop-Art entails the, almost Duchampian, reconfiguration of common signs and objects from the popular and commercial realm into a domain where the 'aesthetics' of such icons can be viewed, valued and considered according to a separate set of standards and merits distinct from their common context, what does such an approach encompass when applied to the Middle-East? In a region where the appropriation of popular iconography has been the norm rather than the exception, and where such copying of various more known trademarks (anything from Disney or Southpark characters to the logos of more high-end Italian fashion labels) have been applied without much risk of getting prosecuted for copyright infringement, the notion of Pop-Art gains a slightly different 'twang'. A locale where the expression and emphasis on originality hasn't gained the same revered position as it has in the West, and where the celebration of popular culture (and one could argue that the overbearing prevalence of popular culture in the region often manages to exclude any alternative, perhaps more 'high-brow or discourse based, means of expression), with their usually a bit skewed and heavy-handed representations of Mickey Mouse, Batman and copies of products ranging from DVDs to Gucci bags, (that can be viewed at many a local shop-front and for sale along sidewalks) has been the accepted standard and a common presence in the streetscape since the local rendition of the high-street has been around (the souk/ bazaar).

Here the idea of using elements from popular culture, a rendition of the notion of simulacra, needs to be reassessed as almost a copy of a copy - a form of meta-simulacra – that has in the process become saturated with some of the inherent qualities of the Gulf and the Middle-East. This almost evolutionary transition has resulted in a contemporary arabesque of intertwining ideas and adaptations that, due to their context, morph familiar, usually universal, elements into an interpretation that gains a strange new aura and character of its own.

Thus, in the context of the above, considering the notion of Pop-Art, and viewing some more recent renditions of related concepts here in Kuwait, becomes an interesting and thought provoking exercise in its own right.

Foreground - A sculpture by Phillip Maberry, exhibited at the Exporting Pop Exhibition at the Al-Sabah Collection at the Al-Corniche Club (photo found on Alia Farid's 'Picasa' album)...

The exhibition at the Al-Sabah Art & Design collection at the Al-Corniche Club provides thus an interesting marker in the contemporary cultural history of Kuwait. This exhibition, along with a select number of more recent parallel morsels of worthy cultural endeavours, is beginning to suggest that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Kuwait, as a (world class) cultural entity, is starting to come to its own.

For too often in the past, whilst visiting an exhibition or cultural event in Kuwait, a somewhat condescending [under]tone has prevailed the casual commentary that accompanies such events, i.e "the work is interesting (for Kuwait)", or, "the technical execution of the work was superb (for Kuwait)"... This template of "acceptable" work is usually based on the following five maxims:

A) It's a painting - as sculpture, photography or conceptual work (installations or performances) seems to be less well received...

B) It is of a subject matter from the (quite recent) pre-industrialized past, such as pearl-diving, rug-weaving, pottery, etc.

C) The work is large, but not too large (size matters). What is important here is not necessarily the message, technique or theme of the work, but how appropriate or how well it befits a particular space or interior...

D) It uses bright and bold colours...

E) It includes (Arabic) writing or calligraphy (or at least a suggestion of it) somewhere in the work...

Now, there is much great artwork made in Kuwait that touches upon one or more of the maxims above. The aim here is not to suggest the above elements should be excluded from consideration, but that there is space to widen the repertoire of what practising contemporary art or design related pursuits entail in the region.

A work by Sandra Bermudez (photo found on Alia Farid's 'Picasa' album)...

Henceforth we need to stop perpetuating such [quasi]patronizing avocations. We need to be critical, but do so without malice or cynicism. Pass judgement, but justify our impressions. Widen our realm(s) of what the practice of art embodies in the region, but do so without slipping into (bad) pastiche, and apply forethought and wit in our appraisals (as writing about these things is a challenge in its own right)...

Foreground, work by Jesse Small; background, portraits by Cecilia Jurado (photo found on Alia Farid's 'Picasa' album)...

What makes this exhibition so interesting is that, whilst ticking all the boxes of an established 'ism' (as Pop-Art it uses references from popular culture - 'tick'; most the work includes an inherent humorous component - 'tick'; it almost transcends into the realm of design by being easy on the eye and non-threatening - 'tick'...) it still manages to reflect, and provoke questions regarding, the role and distinction between popular and 'high' art in the region. By exhibiting work by, what seems according to the catalogue to be predominantly New York based artists, it nevertheless, perhaps partly due to the rich and varied background of these artists, manages to touch upon issues that seem relevant to us here in Kuwait. Perhaps it is this notion of 'multi-culturalism', which applies to New York in a completely different fashion than in relates to Kuwait (New York being a 'blending-pot' of cultures, whereas in Kuwait the segregation between nationalities/ cultures is somewhat more apparent and enforced), that still applies as a connective tissue between various social and cultural stratum? As a matter of fact the work does deal with a number of 'difficult' (particularly to the Gulf related) issues, but these are introduced through a somewhat benign shroud of innocence which manages to obscure the more polemic suggestions the art poses below its 'prettiness' and humour.

Left, work by Philip Simmons; right, work by Chad Curtis (photo found on Alia Farid's 'Picasa' album)...

By this exhibition (along with some of the other more recent cultured events of late) the standards have been set for future cultural endeavours in Kuwait. Why not begin considering Kuwait as a harbinger and catalyst of worthwhile activities rather than being dependent on those created elsewhere? Lets begin taking pride in ideas and products produced locally. Develop a dynamic discourse around the various intertwined disciplines that relate to our needs, interests and doings. Let's make Kuwait a place where people come to learn, rather than the other way around.

Why Not [Here] No.3 - Formatting Education/ Debating Aspects of Higher Education in Kuwait and the Gulf...

View of Izmir from the IUE campus...

It seems like most private institutions of higher learning in Kuwait, or even the Gulf, are affiliated, both in approach and name, to foreign institutions on entities. One assumes the main reason for taking such an approach is to gain immediate validity, as well as logistical know-how (but with more emphasis on the initial assumed justification) for a new, budding institution. It saves time, and presumably years of concerted effort, on establishing a favourable reputation of ones own. Purchasing the name and rights of a trademarked American, English, French or Australian university (or linking the institutions name to one of these countries) is a convenient short-cut to collegial serendipity and credibility. This form of institutional packaging has also, of course, been done successfully with most types of retail outlets (franchised from international chains such as Boots or Starbucks) as well as more high-end cultural institutions (such as the Guggenheim – as in Bilbao, Las Vegas or Abu Dhabi, or even the Sorbonne, currently being built in Abu Dhabi), usually at a great expense, and it has, admittedly, had the desired affect – these ventures have received their fair share of both local and international publicity, be it only for the sheer audacity of the architecture or the costs involved.

Football pitch on the campus of IUE...

However, as advantageous such 'clip-on' endeavours might be, applying a formula that works in New York, Sidney or Paris might not necessarily suitable for a Gulf vernacular, where the cultural, social semantics and logistics are set according to quite unique and different foundations and patterns of behaviour. These range from issues such as the separation or distinction between the genders, to more subtle, more internalized and idiosyncratic, social distinctions within a society, such as the roles between locals and expatiates or the 'bedoun', or any of the alternate cultural hierarchies and chains-of-command (the key role religion plays in the set up of the nation, the way reputations and loyalties are interlinked between extended families, etc.). All such factors will impact, and occasionally clash, with the imported cultures of the institutions brought in from abroad. A successful enterprise of this scale will inevitably require time, patience, and bundles of perseverance and lateral thinking to survive and succeed. 'Tagging on' to someone else's reputation might seem like a worthwhile idea, but there's something to be said for building up, from scratch, a establishment of ones own. Allow it to develop organically into something distinct and a bespoke reflection of its own unique conditions and setting.

Do such institutions lack the confidence in setting up something which foundations stand on their own merit? Could one claim that such an approach is reflective of an inherent lack of imagination in defining an original set of academic criteria of ones own?

IUE glazed elevator shaft...

The Bauhaus, Vkhutemas, Black Mountain College, Architectural Association, SCI-Arc, are all institutions (the latter two still existing) that defined an unique approach to their particular disciplines. They all also celebrate(d) their individuality, their specific approach and philosophy, and pursued their particular plan-to-action according to ideas that usually were catalysed by perceived shortcomings in existing educational templates. Some of the aforementioned institutions didn't last much more than a decade or two (the Bauhaus, Vkhutemas, Black Mountain College), but are still revered and referred to in most textbooks related to the topic. Others are still going strong (the AA, SCI-Arc), and have by now, as in the case of the AA, been around for over 160 years. What they all have in common is a surprisingly diverse assemblage of characters, both students and tutors, who collectively developed a richly diverse setting for syncretic discourse. They questioned and adapted new stands of thought and novel paradigms of conception which inevitably enriched the way our doings and surroundings - the values and concepts we use to define them - could be conceived and perceived. This process of constant questioning and critical thought, derived from the sincerest form of curiosity rather than cynicism, is imperative in the betterment of our both cultural and built vernacular. It is this role, as an entity of both empirical but also inspired conception, an university should occupy. Perhaps the advantage of doing so through a private institution is that the usually more generic requirements of a state run university curriculum can be circumvented and alternative pedagogical routes can be explored.

The campus Amphitheatre, with trees sticking out from between the bleachers...

These musings came about whilst visiting the Department of Architecture of the Izmir University of Economics in Izmir, Turkey, a less than decade old institution that is fiercely dedicated to establishing its own brand, or take on things, rather than adopting someone else's. What struck me about this institution, located in a country and city I never visited before, was, in spite of its newness, how dynamic, aspirational and 'together' it was. The chain-of-command between the departments and individuals in those departments was clear and benign; required actions, be these regarding invoice payments or the realization of new facilities, were done on time or even ahead of schedule; the provisions of, and interlinks between, the different facets of the school and fulfilling the needs of both students and staff were efficiently resolved and always in process of being improved. Workshops exploring various more progressive approaches of architectural conception were standard. This was all achieved quickly, efficiently and within budget. The campus had a very amicable ambiance about it, and the staff and students I met all seemed to have a dedication and loyalty for the place.

The cable-car accessed mountain south of the IUE campus...

This emphasis on individuality and initiative to take action and responsibility of ones own would benefit all stratums of endeavours in Kuwait, regardless of discipline...

Pieke Bergmans at the Al Sabah Art & Design Gallery...

A quick sketch (from memory) of one of the designs in the exhibition...

The latest exhibition at the Al Sabah Art & Design Gallery in the Al Corniche Complex is by the Dutch designer Pieke Bergmans, who's exhibiting, what she describes as, 'Design Viruses' - blown crystal 'bubbles', or vases - which are applied, whilst still hot and malleable, onto restored Middle Eastern mother-of-pearl furniture, consequently burning the furniture and marking the pattern and shape of the furniture onto each crystal 'virus'. For this exhibition these 'viruses' have been set onto a number of side tables, various chairs, as well as a large cupboard, displayed evenly around the gallery space.

The exhibition introduces an interesting dichotomy - by making utilitarian objects unusable, and, in the act of burning and disfiguring these precious pieces, blatantly disregarding something usually considered valuable, what discipline - design, art, craft (or anarchy) - do these works actually belong to? Perhaps this question is somewhat of a moot point, as simply engaging with the process of manipulating and adapting these particular pre-existing pieces according to the methods determined by the 'Design Virus' (as outlined in the hand-out) should suffice, however, using one craft - glass-blowing - a very hands-on set of synchronized skills that require years of training to master, to 'disfigure' another craft - carpentry - which in its own right demands thousands of hours to get to grips with, is a bit strange, and it would be nice if the act, which could be described as a form of 'benign vandalism', would be justified a bit more. So perhaps the relationship between the crystal and the piece of furniture is less 'viral' and more about a parasitic, or even symbiotic, relationship, making the combination less confrontational and more about exploring a syncretic or evolutionary design process. It would also be interesting to find out how this relates to other works in the genre, such as Maarten Baas' 'Smoke' series, where he burns and scorches existing furniture classics, or even some of the work by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, where, in his 'Four Movements' collection, he cuts up, and re-assembles, a set of classical Chinese furniture into unusual and unexpected compositions, in the process revealing and granting them a set new suggestive functions that weren't there before.

Thus, at some level, and in comparison to the aforementioned examples, perhaps the work didn't go far enough. Even in comparison to some of the designs included on the designer's web-page, the pieces in the Al-Sabah Gallery are almost timid - their viruses engage with their hosts, but seem to do so in a fashion that only nudge, instead of fully integrate, with the furniture. The viruses only rest on/ by/ inside the furniture instead of changing them, adapting and morphing them into something beyond their origins.

Expanding the notion of craft would also have been interesting in this context. Glass is a fascinating material. Fresh out of the kiln, it's a viscous paste, like thick honey, that's a true challenge to control and shape. It can weigh and behave like liquid rock, or be blown into the thinnest and lightest of bubbles, that will fly off by the slightest of breezes. During its process of fabrication, it can also be deceptive, radiating a slow orange glow whilst still fresh out of the kiln, that quickly fades into its usual clarity surprisingly quickly, it still, however, remains scorching hot, and malleable, for quite a while. On the other hand, once annealed (cooled down) the glass becomes hard and brittle like rock, and very demanding to work with. This stage provides a different set of opportunities, usually through the application of more precision based mechanical tools (compared to the more hands-on means used during the hot stages). The combination of these two, unexpectedly contradictory, stages of the glass fabrication process, is also where some of the intrinsic beauty and potential of glass and crystal rests. It is here where also the opportunities lie in this case. Why was crystal used instead of regular glass? Why clear instead of coloured glass? Why not any secondary shaping/ polishing/ grinding/ etching/ adapting of the glass to match or contrast with the host piece of furniture? Was the lack of finishing and control intentional? It would have been nice to see evidence of more reflection and adaptation that is made bespoke for the included mother-of-pearl furniture pieces.

However, in the end the Al Sabah Art & Design Gallery has to be commended for bringing this type of work to Kuwait, providing the general public with a venue where anyone can be exposed and engage with design and art work that pushes and explores the boundaries of the various related disciplines. To its credit, the work does contain chunks of the '7elo-factor', as the work can be classified as aesthetically pleasing. Sometimes just liking something, without covering it with several plys of analysis, is perfectly OK, and needs to be applauded for the sheer enthusiasm and drive involved in their realization...

Samples of the 'Design Viruses' (photo from the Al-Sabah Art & Design Collection web-page)...

Ghada Al Kandari has a Blog...

A recently completed painting (image by Ghada Al-Kandari)...

Ghada Al-Kandari, one of Kuwait's more interesting and talented contemporary artists, has started her own blog. Predominantly a painted, Ms. Al-Kandari is known for work that explored and is driven by often very personal, even painful, themes.
Click here for a link to a recent article about the artist in Artvark.

The above painting in process (photo by Ghada Al-Kandari)...